Danganronpa: A Desperate Despair (SYOC Closed)
by The Heart of Stone
Summary: Sixteen students were accepted into the first class of the new international branch of Hope's Peak Academy. However, when these sixteen students find themselves trapped in a summer camp, they start to question of their acceptance into such a prestigious academy bought them hope at all. (Application form now on my profile)
1. Prologue and Rules

I felt the world shake below me, throwing me once again into consciousness. I looked around, trying to remember where exactly I was in my groggy state, but I couldn't see anything. I tried to allow time for my eyes to adjust, but the darkness persisted. The hum of an engine roared around me, not at all helping the pounding in my head.

I attempted to think back. Where was I? What was I doing here? But the thoughts only made the ache in my head worse.

Eventually I just gave up trying to remember, and I attempted to stand, hoping that I could see some light, and finally get some indication of where exactly I found myself. However, when I tried to move my arms, I couldn't. I tried moving my legs. Same result. I pulled harder, but I was bound tightly to the chair I was in.

I began to panic. A million thoughts ran through my mind. Had someone kidnapped me? Had I been caught hacking into someplace I shouldn't? Was I going to be executed for knowing to much, or worse, tortured for information?

I thought back, trying to remember who I had recently hacked. Could it have been the CIA? Probably not. They found out I was hacking them years ago, when I was too inexperienced. I even helped them better their firewall. And my recent infiltrations were completely untraceable. NASA? They have a really difficult system to hack, so I might have left a trace, but I doubt they'd kidnap me. The NSA? No, I'm too careful with them. But it does seem the most likely, if internet conspiracy theories are to be believed…

I was then hurled from my thoughts when the seat I was in suddenly jolted upward, throwing my body forward into my binds. I let out a small yelp of pain, which was quickly joined by a chorus of other similar sounds.

Apparently I wasn't alone. Was everyone here a criminal who had been kidnapped by the NSA, or were we all kidnapped by some terrorists to be pressed for classified information we knew? Whatever the case, I decided it would be best to keep my mouth shut. Who knows what kind of lunatics I could be surrounded by.

We were also apparently in some sort of vehicle, and based on the number of voices I heard, I assumed it was some sort of bus.

So as the bus continued to throw us all around like ragdolls, I continued to try and figure out why I was here. I tried to remember…

That's right. I was at my house... I had just gotten a letter… A school was considering me for enrollment… The school was a very prestigious one, and parents were very proud… There had been rumors that a new branch was starting… No one knew what kind of students they'd let in this time… I was so surprised to get the letter… A scout was even supposed to come talk to me about it… What was that school's name?

As absurd of a possibility as it would seem, maybe that school was the cause of my current situation. Maybe someone kidnapped me for ransom thinking that my parents were rich enough to send me there. Or maybe the school just had a really secretive way of transporting students. Or maybe there was a conspiracy by the members of the board that revolved around kidnapping all of us.

As my mind continued to wander, I heard the faint sounds of voices coming from a few feet behind me. It seemed that someone was trying to ask who the rest of us were, and where we were, and why we were here, but if anyone had an answer, they kept their mouths shut.

Eventually, as some of the people around me began to join into the confusion, the bus ground to a halt. I was hurled forward, once again slamming into my binds. I let out a small groan, which was lost in the wave of wails from the other people on the door slowly creaked open, allowing a single streak of light to flood in, confirming my suspicions. We were definitely on a bus. One mystery solved.

I looked around, only able to see two or three of the other people around me. They all looked around my age, but they were far from normal. Each of them seemed a little strange to me, but still maybe a little familiar…

However, my attention was soon ripped away from my mysterious peers, as a high pitched voice began to blare over the speakers in the front of the bus.

"Ahem, ahem… Testing… Is this thing on?" It began, it's high pitched cheery tone starting to put me on edge. "Hello hello campers!" It yelled, seeming almost _too_ happy. "Welcome to Camp Morning Star! Please make your way up the main road to the fire pit for some… _special_ announcements…"

* * *

A/N To all readers and potential character submitters, welcome. I'm really excited to be writing this story and I can't wait to get started. Below I've listed the rules for submission, and if you have any questions, feel free to comment or PM me and I will answer as soon as I can. I will also welcome feedback and suggestions, so never feel afraid to contact me with those. I can't wait to see what kinds of characters you guys can come up with!

Rules:

This is an SYOC that will be open to submissions until May 31 at 11:59 p.m. pacific time. I will be asking for fifteen characters, preferably with seven female and eight male, but this is flexible. Characters of any talent will be accepted for consideration. This includes already canon talents, but keep in mind that your character must be very unique and different from characters that already exist in canon. I will not accept any characters who are related to any of the canon characters in anyway, and this includes childhood friends. I will also be using my own character as the protagonist, just so you are aware.

The only acceptable submissions must be sent to my in a private message. If it's in the comments, it doesn't count, because if anyone can see your character there can be no surprises in the story. So also please do not reveal any spoiler information about your character in the comments.

Remember that quirky characters will be accepted, but characters must be within the realms of reality. The characters with more detailed summaries are more likely to get chosen as well. While talents like "psychic" or "clairvoyant" will be accepted, no character can have a strong supernatural talent, such as "telekinetic." Also be very specific and creative with the character's appearance, and while I will accept colored hair, you must explain why your character died it the color it is.

Also, this story includes the students that were going to be members of the first class of the international branch of Hope's Peak, so I do want diversity, but your character must speak English. I'm not going to throw text into google translate and hope it comes out alright. So as long as you explain that your character got some sort of English education and can speak English fluently/very close to fluently, they will be acceptable. If your character struggles with English please provide an explanation as to what they struggle with and/or a sample of some of their dialogue (like a few sentences).

Remember that I am the author, and I will choose who your character becomes friends with, which couples will be made, and who dies. Submitting your character to me will be taken as permission to do whatever I want with your character. However, if you really don't want your character to do something, please let me know in your form and I will attempt to work around it. One example could be if you don't want your character to be in a relationship, specify that. However, you cannot protect your character from death. Only I can choose who lives and dies.

I will accept two submissions from each person, but I will only choose one character from each submitter.

Do not tell me to google other characters to see how your character looks. If you tell me that your character looks like Sailor Moon with shorter brunette hair that is also not acceptable. Please describe in your own words what your character looks like.

There are three roles I need filled as well, but remember that none of these roles are safe from death either.

I will also not be asking for characters to specifically fill these rolls. Instead, I will ask in your application which roll/rolls you believe your character would fit the best in. If you really don't want your character to fit into one of these rolls please specify that specifically. If you simply say "I don't think my character would be a good (blank)," I will still take that as "I can put your character in my story as the (blank)." Something like "Do not make my character the (blank)" is needed if you don't want your character to fill a specific role.

Also, be aware that I will choose one character as the mastermind, and unless I receive specific instructions not to, I can choose any submission. The mastermind will be hidden in the roster of chosen characters, so no one will know who exactly who they are.

These three roles are: The Mastermind, the best friend character, and a take-charge group leader.

Now, please fill out the sheet below for submissions if you agree to follow the rules:

 **Name:**

 **Talent:**

 **Age:**

 **Gender (restricted to male or female):**

 **Hair (Color and Style):**

 **Eye Color:**

 **Skin Color:**

 **Nationality:**

 **Outfit:**

 **Sexuality:**

 **Personality:**

 **Strengths:**

 **Weaknesses:**

 **Hobbies:**

 **Likes:**

 **Dislikes:**

 **Annoyances:**

 **Fears:**

 **Secrets:**

 **Types of People they Like:**

 **Types of People they Dislike:**

 **How did they discover/start using their talent?**

 **What was their childhood like?**

 **What People/Things do they love most in the world?**

 **Do they have a dream/goal?**

 **What could drive them to murder?**

 **Do you think they would most likely be a murderer, a victim, or a survivor?**

 **What would your character be doing during a trial investigation? During the trial? During free time?**

 **How do they act when: Angry, Anxious, Happy. Horrified, Sad, and Surprised?**

 **How would they react if a close friend/love interest was murdered? What if that close friend/love interest was the murderer?**

 **Which of the roles listed above do you think your character would best fit? Are there any you don't want your character playing? Please explain why:**

 **Anything else you want to add (optional):**


	2. List of Character Submissions

So here's a list I will do my best to update regularly with every character I get submitted. If you want to avoid repeat talents or names, make sure to check this often. Also I did put the application form on my profile now just so you're aware. I am also accepting submissions from the Danganronpa community on the Amino mobile app. If you like Danganronpa I highly recommend the community, and if you're into any fandom at all I highly recommend the app. I will publish this story on that app as well.

 **Females:**

Kasumi Iki-Ultimate House-sitter (TheRoseShadow21)

Odile Jacques-Ultimate Violinist (Harukawa Ayame)

Ashley Wiltarow- Ultimate Prankster (Wiltarrow)

Mimi Kalea- Ultimate Seamstress (Wiltarrow)

Reia- Ultimate Gardener (Rainbow Volcano)

Mika Garcia- Ultimate Hacker (MonoKuro Harinezumi)

Molly McCarthy- Ultimate Clockmaker (TenaciousTurtleDuck)

Joselyn Balsamo- Ultimate Lucky Student (Notadeadguy)

Yuki Frost- Ultimate Artist (jackfrostsdaughter)

Ginko Akiyama- Ultimate Makeup Artist (ShadedLyht)

Leslie Bartlett- Ultimate Butler (SimpleSlytherin)

Émilie Bellerose- Ultimate Ballerina (Sendokai .Zak)

 **Males**

Cyrus Durand-Ultimate Illusionist (Bowman01)

Milow Yebrazsk- Ultimate Information Broker (Knight Hospitaller)

Lev Mikhailovich- Ultimate Hunter (Yakumon)

Solomon Drake- Ultimate Unlucky Student (PowerPlayer)

Rei Todoroki- Ultimate Pianist (MonoKuro Harinezumi)

Arashi Biyori- Ultimate Antiques Expert (The Mystic Hoshiko)

Finnian "Finn" Hoang- Ultimate Paranormal Investigator (Red as Rose)

Ataru Ikurumi- Ultimate Hairstylist (CrayonPencil)

Haru Sowa- Ultimate ? (ZubatMaster)

Zen Inigami- Ultimate Music Entertainer (XenoVise)

Jacques Amortaine- Ultimate Matchmaker (Tikamo the Magnificent)

Fausto Abbandonato- Ultimate Tarot Card Reader (Illusionary Phantom)

Hyacinth Foxxe- Ultimate Caretaker (RubyLeo)

* * *

Also, just for your benefit, the protagonist of this story is named Soledad Castro, the Ultimate Cryptographer.


	3. Final Character Roster

**Well, after a lot of thought, I've finally narrowed down the submissions to the final sixteen. It was a hard job. There were s many good submissions, and rejecting those that I did reject... It was tough. Thank you all for submitting your fantastic characters to me, and know that I thoroughly enjoyed reading through all of them. If you don't see the character you submitted in the roster, just know it was because there were too many submissions to accept all of them. I hope you're happy with the roster, and if your character did get accepted, please comment often. I want to do your characters justice, and giving me feedback is the best way to do that. Even if your character didn't get submitted, I'll enjoy your feedback just as much! I hope you all enjoy reading Danganronpa: A Desperate Despair.**

 **Girls**

Soledad Castro - The Ultimate Cryptographer

Reia Martel - The Ultimate Gardener

Leslie Bartlett - The Ultimate Butler

Molly McCarthy - The Ultimate Clockmaker

Odile Jacques - The Ultimate Violinist

Joselyn Balsamo - The Ultimate Lucky Student

Kasumi Iki - The Ultimate Housesitter

Ashley Wiltarrow - The Ultimate Prankster

 **Boys**

Cyrus Durand - The Ultimate Illusionist

Solomon Drake - The Ultimate Unlucky Student

Lev Mikhailovich - The Ultimate Hunter

Ataru Ikurumi - The Ultimate Hairstylist

Jacques Amortaine - The Ultimate Matchmaker

Fausto Abbandonato - The Ultimate Tarrot Card Reader

Milow Yebrazck - The Ultimate Information Broker

Finnian Hoang - The Ultimate Paranormal Investigator


	4. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I felt the strap around me loosen as the screen fizzled to black. I immediately ran my hands up and down my sore arms, glad to finally be free of the "seat belts," if you could even call them that.

I then began to see the mass exodus of people rushing down the aisle, and suddenly I was aware that I was not among what might be called "average people." They all looked a little odd, a little out of place. I couldn't really put my finger on it, but something about my fellows just didn't add up.

I began to follow them out of the bus, making sure to keep an eye on each and every one of them. Everyone seemed to be about my age, but other than that, there was no similarity. I began to wonder why whoever kidnapped me decided to take all these other people along with me. As far as I could tell, none of them were capable of hacking places like the NSA, although looks can be deceiving. Even I probably don't look like I'm the type of person capable of such a feat. But here we are...

Some of the others began to whisper to each other. I tried to tune my ear into each of their conversations, and from the few words I managed to catch, I could tell they were trying to figure out where we were, and what we were doing here. However, from the looks on their faces, I could tell that they were all just as clueless as I was.

I followed the rest of the group up the road just as instructed, although honestly I had the strong desire to bolt. Looking at my surroundings, I appeared to be in the woods, far from any civilization. This offered both pluses and minuses to my plan. If I managed to get away, I'd be hard to find. However, help would also be hard to find, so I decided that running away wasn't the best idea.

And soon enough, I noticed another reason not to run. About every ten feet, shining from high in the trees, there hung the barrels of machine guns.

If I had any hope at that point that this situation would end up being anything in the realm of the positive, it all flew out the window when I noticed the machine guns. Just looking at them, I could feel the strength that was contained behind each barrel. That overwhelming power, that absolute strength… It all told me that whatever the reason I was here, I would not be enjoying a pleasant nature getaway.

Eventually, my group came upon a fork in the road. On one side, there was a small booth with the word "information" printed on a lopsided plaque. Behind the booth there was a road leading off to uniform rows of cabins, and on the other side of the road there was a trail winding into the woods. Directly in front of it all, there was a stack of firewood surrounded by log stumps, with a podium at the head.

The surroundings looked vaguely familiar, and it didn't take long to figure out why. The strange voice had called this place a "camp," but at the time I didn't quite realise he literally meant a "summer camp." Although this place seemed strangely reminiscent of something I had seen before, as though it had been ripped directly out of some television program or film I had once seen...

Everyone crowded around the pit, looking nervous. I used this as an excuse to examine my fellows. There was quite a variety. Honestly, there were almost no similarities. There were some guys wearing suits, but then there was a guy wearing a leather vest and no shoes, and yet another guy with long and messy crimson red hair wearing a long white robe with all sorts of strange marks. And the girls weren't much better. There was a girl in a tweed vest covered in clockwork patterns, a girl with a striped t-shirt, beret, and a black dirndl skirt, and a girl in jean shorts, lace up boots, and a blue sleeveless jacket over a white t-shirt. There seemed to be no connections in race, and quite possibly not in nationality, as I recalled hearing one girl talk in a French accent on the walk up. I honestly couldn't piece any of this together.

However much I wanted to, I was given very little time to analyze my classmates. I was soon rudely interrupted by the same shrill voice I heard back on the bus. A shiver went down my spine. That voice was somehow even more cheery now. It really was unnerving. I couldn't help but clench my fists in anticipation.

"Well it's good to see the gang's all together!" It screamed, calling the entire group's attention to the podium. "There's no more time for dallying around! It's time for my graaaaand entrance!~"

Suddenly, a small black and white ball exploded out of the podium, forcing me to step back. The little ball spiraled through the air, flying up twenty feet high, until it finally slammed down on the podium. Sparks flew from either side, and confetti rained down from some unseen source, as a three-foot, half-white half-black bear struck a pose on top of the podium.

I was stunned to silence. I think all the others were too, but I didn't dare turn my head away from the confusion laid out before me. My mind was still attempting to wrap itself around this seemingly impossible phenomenon, when suddenly a black and white banner popped up from the ground, centering itself perfectly above the bear.

I took a quick glimpse up at the banner, thinking it might somehow explain the insanity my eyes refused to believe. But there was no relief in the words displayed. There were only two words, and neither offered any explanation.

"It's Monokuma!"

After a long silence that reached awkward levels previously unknown to science, the little creature coughed. "Was it too much?" It asked us, dumfounding me further. How could a bear speak? I knew it couldn't be a real bear, but still… Were there really robots that advanced? It was the only explanation, but I had never seen anything like it in any government records I had found…

"I mean, I wanted to try something flashier than I have in the past. I mean I am world famous you know. I just thought that maybe my fans would like it. You know, a little glitz, some firecrackers… I just wanted to add a bit of pizazz! But I guess the confetti might have been overkill…"

"Excuse me…" Said a feminine voice with a irish accent. I looked to the source, somehow pulling my eyes away from the talking monochrome bear that stood before us, to see that it was the girl with the clockwork vest speaking. "But who exactly are you? You claim to be world-famous, but I've never heard of a 'Monokuma' before, and I'm sure I would have recognised a talking bear, even in the midst of this generation's wild celebrities."

The bear tilted its head in confusion. "What?" It questioned. "You've never heard of Monokuma?" The girl shook her head.

"Sorry, but no. I've never heard of ya. What exactly are you anyway? And what are you doing with all of us?"

The bear did not look happy. "Excuse me! I'm not a what! I'm a bear! And you will all address me as Monokuma!"

"Well that's a stupid name anyway!" Shouted a boy with reddish-brown hair. "In japanese, that literally just means mono bear! I'm assuming like 'monochrome bear?' Why would you want to be called that!?" I did notice that the boy seemed to have an Asian accent, which I now assumed to be Japanese.

Monokuma only looked more angry. "Well what kind of name is Ataru? In Japanese, that just means sun. Your hair's too brown to be red like the sun! That name doesn't fit you at all! Your hair's not even red enough to be a tomato! Unless maybe it's a rotten tomato!"

The boy's fists clenched. "You'd fuckin' better take that back!"

"Oh, what're you gonna do?" The bear yelled back. "Any violence against Head Counselor Monokuma is in direct violation of school rules!"

"And so what? Why should I care?" The boy, Ataru, yelled back.

Suddenly, the bear's expression changed. "Oh right, I guess I should explain that huh?" He gave a quick cough, and continued on as though his previous conversation never happened. "Welcome everyone to Camp Morning Star! I do so hope you like it! A lot of hard work and care went towards its construction! And if you don't like it, too bad! It's still the place you'll have to spend the rest of your lives!"

A collective gasp arose from the crowd, but before anyone could speak, the bear continued. "Now before I hear all of your 'this can't be happening!'s and 'what do you mean the rest of our lives?'s, I wanna get through the rules. There'll be time for questions afterwards kiddos, so shut up and sit tight, 'cause we have a lot to get through today! Sorry to start of your exciting camp life with an exposition dump, but I guess it can't be helped.

"Camp Morning Star is a state of the art facility built by the future's top minds in almost every field! It's actually pretty impressive when you think about it. This entire camp was all built in only two years, and with limited resources, and now it's your home forever. You should feel blessed to be the only group of campers who will ever get to stay here!

"But that's all ancient history. What's important now is what your new camp life here is all about! Well, if you all look at these beautiful logs here, you'll notice that each one has the name of one camper carved on top! Once you find your stump, you'll also notice a little alcove carved into it. There, you'll find your new camper e-handbook, which will be essential to your camp life! Not only will it act as the key to your cabin, but it also details all the rules and regulations of this camp! Please read through these thoroughly, as breaking a rule won't exactly be good for your health. Punishments here at camp tend to get a bit… extreme. Puhuhu" His odd laugh was cruel and joyous, and as he laughed, the creepy grin eternally etched on his face seemed to widen.

I took a look around, eventually coming across a stump just like the one described. "Soledad Castro" was indeed carved into the stump in plain view of everyone. I guess there was no point in trying to hide who exactly I was. I found my e-handbook, and when I fired it up, my name once again flashed before my eyes.

I quickly tapped on the rules menu, and scrolled through each of the guidelines.

 **Rule #1: Camp Morning Star is now your entire world. Leaving camp grounds is strictly prohibited.**

This rule was so simply stated, but it held so much power. My life, my family, my house… all of it was in the outside world. To be told that none of it mattered anymore, that it was no longer a part of my world… I couldn't believe it.

 **Rule #2: "Nighttime" is from 11pm to 7am. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.**

This rule seemed much more normal. A curfew is so ordinary, that next to the first rule it seemed… odd.

 **Rule #3: With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Camp Morning Star at your discretion.**

Again, a decently normal rule. Why this needed to be explicitly stated is beyond me, but at least I know that I won't be shot with any of those machine guns as long as I stay within the camp...

 **Rule #4: Violence against head counselor Monokuma will not be tolerated.**

This was the rule Monokuma yelled at Ataru earlier, so it didn't surprise me to see it on here. Although why would Monokuma need to write a rule just to protect himself from violence? I thought it would be much easier just to ban violence.

But then it all started to make sense once I read rule #5.

 **Rule #5: Once a body is discovered, there will be a mandatory class trial. All surviving campers must participate.**

Once a body had been discovered? All surviving campers? Was this some kind of sick joke?

But then I remembered the machine guns. They were everywhere in the camp. And the way Monokuma told us that we'd spend 'the rest of our lives' in the camp. And the rule that we couldn't leave… And with the sixth rule, it all fell into place.

 **Rule #6: The murderer will be known as "the blackened."**

We were at this camp to murder each other.


	5. Chapter 2

The rest of the rules just detailed the killing process further.

 **Rule #7: If the correct blackened is chosen in the class trial, only they will be punished.**

 **Rule #8: If the campers choose the incorrect blackened, everyone besides the blackened will immediately be punished.**

 **Rule #9: If the blackened survives the class trial, they alone will be released from Camp Morning Star.**

 **Rule #10: Additional Camp Rules may be added at the head counselor's discretion.**

These rules were too cruel. They couldn't be real. There had to be some rational explanation. _Any_ rational explanation. This was a prank... A dream… It had to be anything _but_ reality. I tried pinching myself like they did in all those cliche movies. I didn't wake up. There was just a sharp pain in my arm. I tried looking around for some indication of amusement, hoping the whole thing was a prank, but the only joy I could find was in Monokuma's twisted smile.

Screams came out of some of my fellows. The ones who remained silent just froze in shock. One girl in a black shirt and jeans even cowered behind one of the logs, arm wrapped around her knees, repeatedly whispering the words "This isn't happening."

No one spoke. We all just stared at our screens in utter shock. Finally, Monokuma spoke again. "Puhuhu… The _despair_ on all of your faces… Oh the beauty of watching the _hope_ leaving all of your eyes! Is there a more beautiful sight in this world?"

"This is a joke right?" The Irish girl from earlier said.

Monokuma's voice grew hostile. "Ugh! I am sooooo sick of that reaction! Seriously, every time I do this someone has to ask 'is this a joke?' Can't you at least try to not sound _so_ cliche?"

"But if it's not a joke…" I mumbled to myself, drawing a few people's eyes towards me. "Then we're really expected to... " I gulped, almost unable to mumble these last few words. " _Kill_ each other?"

Monokuma tilted his head slightly. "You're just now figuring that out?" Everyone's eyes darted around, as though already trying to guess who amongst us was capable of murder. "Well, 'expected' is a strong word. You see, if someone is a chef, that person is expected to cook. If a person is a gambler, they are expected to gamble. It isn't expected of you to kill anyone, it's just that the option is open to all of you! You only have to kill if the despairing reality of living in this beautiful camp is too much for your fragile little minds to bear!"

"So the only way out of this camp…" A boy in a somewhat disgruntled suit started nonchalantly, in what seemed to be an Australian accent. "Is by murdering someone else?

Monokuma seemed annoyed again. "Well duh! Anyone who's read the rules would be able to know that."

The boy nodded. "Mhm. And if anyone attempts to escape? The rules state that leaving the premises is of limits, but it does not detail a punishment..."

Monokuma's happy air returned. "Puhuhu… Oh, I wouldn't even _think_ about it if I was any of you guys." Again, his evil grin seemed to widen. "If my many machine guns don't stop you, there's no way you'll get past _the fence._ "

"W-what fence?" A girl in a black-and-white-striped long-sleeve shirt and skinny jeans stuttered out.

"Oh, the large electric fence that encloses the entire camp area! This camp was built for the protection and safety of all it's inhabitants, so in order to keep them safely inside and all danger safely outside, this camp was created with almost airtight security." Suddenly, the bear reached down to his podium and yanked out what looked like a map. He pointed to the diagrams printed on it as he spoke. "You see, the very outside of this camp is surrounded by a thick concrete fence. On either side of that fence, there is a metal electric fence, and on top of the concrete there's barbed wire! Then, for about four hundred meters in front and about two hundred meters on each side, there's a field. But don't get your hopes up kiddos, it's not exactly a fun place to toss the ol' pigskin around. No, this field is littered with mines! And on the other side of that field, there's _another_ electric fence!"

"So basically you're saying there's no way for us to escape?" A British girl with reddish brown hair and a green jumper yelled.

The bear threw his arms out wide. "Precisely! For your safety, you're all stuck inside this camp, with absolutely _no means_ of escape!" If at all possible at this point, his smile seemed to widen. "So you'd better get used to your exciting camp life here!"

"Then how did we get in if the camp is so protected?" The girl in the green jumper demanded.

It almost looked like there was sweat on Monokuma's brow, but I had to be imagining it. I could hardly accept any of this was happening, so I did not need to think about the mechanics of sweat in a robotic bear. "Oh, well, of course there's the main road between the two fences that's completely mine free…" He said nervously before making a complete emotional one-eighty. "But there's no way you'll get to that road! My motion activated turrets are poised and ready to strike any object that comes within ten feet of the gate! I've already had several birds and squirrels lose their lives to that gate, so good luck trying to sneak _your_ way past!"

"So then…" The tall guy with a leather vest and no shoes began, in an accent I believed to be Russian. "There really is no means of escape?"

Monokuma giggled again. "Nope! You're all stuck here! Better start learning to get along. Or, if that seems too difficult, there's always the other option..." His red eye began glowing menacingly. "I don't care how you do it. Stabbing, bludgeoning, strangling, poisoning, shooting, crushing, beating, cursing, burying alive… There's no method of murder that won't get you out of this camp, as long as you don't get caught. So feel free to kill in any way you like! I'm not a picky bear! Anything will do!"

We all looked at each other again, once more attempting to size up our fellows. But then one more voice spoke up, this one calm, cool and British, and seemingly without emotion. "Excuse me, Monokuma sir, I do believe you have failed to provide us with one final piece of information." I turned around to see the speaker was a girl dressed in a full, perfectly-tailored suit.

"Oh? And what would that be?" The monochrome menace asked, feigning innocence.

The girl cleared her throat. "Well, other than the fact that we all do appear to be the same age, I do not see any other resemblance between myself and any of the others I find myself surrounded with. May I ask why we were chosen to participate in this 'camp life,' as you refer to it?"

He tilted his head to the side once more. "Oh, was that not obvious?" He put his paws over his mouth, trying to suppress his grin. "Puhuhu… Well, I guess I'll tell you…" His attempt failed, as his grin only grew and his red eye flashed, giving away his glee. "You were all the very special and exceptionally talented students that were chosen to attend Hope's Peak International, the first branch of Hope's Peak Academy to actively collect as many international students as possible from all over the globe! You guys were _supposed_ to be the first class to attend in the English speaking division of the academy!"

I looked around. Suddenly it all clicked. The strange appearances of my fellows. The way some of them looked vaguely familiar… It was because many of them were world-famous. The future of so many industries. The hope for my generation… Just as I was expected to be.

I could tell that the others wanted to ask more questions, but before they could, Monokuma continued, his angry face returning once more. "No more questions for now! This is starting to get boring! Maybe I should just pre-record these prologues so I don't have to do them anymore! Run along now and explore, I know that's what you'll all want. I'm definitely familiar with the formula at this point. Toodles!~" And with that, Monokuma sunk out of sight, leaving us utterly confused.

* * *

We all split off after that. Some people had already started forming groups and went off to explore together, but that was never my personal strong suit. I've always been a loner, plain and simple. I'll never know how others manage to make friends so quickly.

First off, I decided that the front gate was the best place to check first. If there was any way out, it would be through there, if Monokuma was to be believed. If we could just find a weakness in the gate, we could all head out on the road without _ever_ having to resort to murder.

However, before I could head out, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey." A small, sweet voice said from behind me. I turned, only to see a small blonde girl with blue eyes standing behind me. She looked normal enough. Her outfit was simple- just jean shorts, a white t-shirt, and a blue sleeveless jacket. Her blue eyes sparkled with joy and innocence, and her smile could lighten up even the darkest of rooms. She looked almost too happy, as though she was solely fueled by joy.

I raised an eyebrow curiously. "Hello?"

She smiled a small bit wider. "It seems like everyone else has already left, and I want to explore too, but I'm a little too scared to go off alone." She iched her ear nervously. "So I was wondering if we could go off together?"

I raised my eyebrow a bit higher. "You want to explore this place with me?"

She nodded. "Yeah, if that's alright. I know this is a bit awkward, but I really would appreciate it." She reached out her hand. "My name's Reia. Reia Martel."

I looked down at her hand, and after a few seconds hesitation, I took it. "Soledad Castro."

"Well it's nice to meet you Soledad." She had a fairly firm grip, but it didn't seem hostile, especially with her sweet smile. It just seemed a bit… forceful. After a few short seconds she let go, and immediately began walking towards the trail. "Well then, let's get going."

She turned her back and gestured for me to follow. I didn't recall ever actually telling her that she could join me, but then again I never denied her. I guess she just took my lack of refusal as acceptance. I ran up to her, and asked "So where are we headed?"

"Lead the way. I don't really care where we go." She put a hand out toward the road, gesturing for me to take the lead. I accepted, and headed down the same path we had first arrived on, Reia following close behind.

When I finally reached the gate, I noticed that three people were already there before me. There was the Irish girl from before, the one who spoke up when Monokuma first appeared. Then there was the Australian guy in the wrinkled suit who had asked about the punishment.

And rounding out the three was the strangest one of them all. He was tall and very well built. He wore a strange, reptilian-looking leather vest that exposed his bare arms, which were covered in scars. His dark hair was a little long and very unruly, kind of like the mane of a wild animal. As soon as we approached, he looked over to us, and he gave a tiny smile and nod in greeting. He walked over to us, holding out his hand. "Hello. My name is Lev Mikhailovich. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Reia looked at him a little skeptically, but put out her hand and took his. "I'm Reia Martel. Pleasure."

After their handshake, Lev looked over at me. "And you are?"

I gave him a small nod. "Soledad Castro. It's good to meet you, Lev." I looked over at the gate. It was huge and iron, bended in strange patterns. The metal in the center was bent in the shape of some sort of symbol, with a pen crossed with some sort of curved shape. It looked like a crest, and though it looked vaguely familiar, I couldn't place a name to it. The name "Camp Morning Star" Hung above the gate proudly, it's gold letters glinting in the light. About ten feet from the gate, there was a wooden fence painted yellow like police tape. A sign hung off the fence that said "DANGER: DO NOT CROSS" in large red letters.

"Have you guys found any weaknesses in the gate?" I asked, walking a little closer.

The Irish girl shook her head. "No. See for yourself." She handed me a small pebble, and gestured to the little roadblock before us. I tossed the pebble, and immediately two turrets shot out of the pillars that held up the gate. They blasted the pebble into dust, which slowly floated down to the ground a few feet before the gate.

"Nothing we've thrown has even made it close to the gate." She sighed and looked toward the ground. After a second, she took a deep breath and looked up at me, the smile returning to her face. "Well enough of that for the moment. I do believe that I need to introduce myself." She stuck out her hand and shot me a wide smile. "My name's Molly McCarthy. I'm glad to meet ya Soledad."

I smiled politely. "Likewise."

"So now that that's out of the way…" Molly said, turning to the guy in the suit. "I suppose you're the only one who hasn't introduced himself. Care to tell us who exactly you are?"

The guy groaned, rolling his eyes. "I'm someone who has better things to do than to be locked up in this place." He shot a slight smirk over to Molly. "But I suppose you'd rather hear something more specific."

Molly scoffed, obviously not amused. "That would be nice, considering that you know all of our names."

"So predictable." He mumbled, shaking his head slightly. "Well, the name's Finn." He bowed his head slightly, putting as little energy as possible into the gesture.

I could practically hear Molly's teeth grinding in anger, but before she said another word, Lev spoke up. "Well Finn, if you desire to get out of here so badly, I assume you won't object to helping me test this fence for weaknesses? We might never leave if we don't find any."

I could practically see Finn weighing his options in his head, as if he trying to decide whether or not it was worth it to put in the effort. Eventually, he shrugged. "If it means I don't have to waste my time singing kumbaya around the campfire until someone ends up dead, then fine." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his wrinkled jacket, tossing his head to the side a bit to throw his unkempt hair out of his eyes.

Lev turned to the rest of us. "So, will you three also help?" He asked, hope and determination flashing in his purple eyes.

Molly nodded, and I was about to join her, but Reia grabbed my arm and pulled me away. "No, I think that me and Sol will explore the rest of this place. We should try and learn the most we can about this camp after all."

I looked over at Reia, and saw that despite her smile, her eyes seemed to burn with contempt when she looked at Lev. I wondered what was wrong with her, but she just started to walk away, pulling me with her.

I looked back to Lev and Molly and shrugged. "Sorry. I guess we'll meet up later to discuss our findings."

Lev nodded. "We will head back to the campfire after we have finished. Tell the others to meet us there."

I barely had any time to nod before Reia pulled me away.

Once we were out of earshot of the three, I forced Reia to stop walking. "Okay, what was that about?" I demanded.

She looked at me. "That was Lev Mikhailovich. He's a famous hunter."

She acted as though this information should explain everything, but I shrugged. "So?"

Reia sighed and rolled her eyes. "So he _hunts_ animals. As in he _kills_ animals for _fun_." She groaned. "I never thought I'd ever have the displeasure of meeting someone like him." Despite the obvious disdain in her voice, her smile never wavered. I did notice her eye twitch slightly however.

"Are you a vegetarian?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "No, because I understand why people kill for food. Lev is... _different_. He kills for _sport_ , not sustenance."

I shrugged, not really understanding why she was so angry. I mean, I doubt the guy committed mass genocide against animals, so what was the big deal? As long as he didn't go overboard, what was the harm? Looking at Reia, I could tell she didn't want to discuss the matter further, but I really wanted to understand, so… "Are you some kind of nature freak then?" I asked bluntly.

She looked at me like I was crazy for a second, but then hit herself on her forehead. "Oh yeah, I guess you wouldn't know." She said, still smiling. "I mean, I'm definitely not the most famous teenager here. I guess people outside of the botany community wouldn't know me." She gave a slight chuckle. "I'm a famous gardener. I seem to have this way with plants that most people don't have. It's actually what got me recruited to Hope's Peak International in the first place, now that I think about it." She looked up at the sky, as if just remembering this little detail. "Oh yeah, I forgot that everyone who gets into Hope's Peak has a special talent. I forgot to ask those guys back there for theirs, but while you're around, can I ask you what your talent is?"

For a second, I was speechless. Talent? I barely remembered the acceptance letter I had received. But now that I thought about it, the letter seemed to resurface, and I remembered some of the text.

 _Dear Soledad Castro,_

 _The faculty at the new Hope's Peak Academy International is pleased to inform you that you have been recruited to join the first class of students. You will be in the first English speaking class at the academy._

 _Your deciphering and hacking skills have earned you the title of the Ultimate Cryptographer._

The letter had gone on, but I didn't care to remember any more of the details for now. "Well, according to my acceptance letter, I'm the Ultimate Cryptographer."

She looked a little puzzled. "I know I've heard the word before, but… What exactly is a cryptographer?"

I sighed. Most people didn't know that definition, although most of the people in the internet circles I hung out in did. I had forgotten how it felt when I was thirteen and I went around school telling everyone I wanted to be a cryptographer when I grew up, only to have them scratch their heads in confusion. "A cryptographer is someone who's really good at solving puzzles and ciphers, and decrypting codes. Nowadays computer hacking is one of the biggest areas of cryptography, if it's not _the_ biggest."

She nodded in understanding. "Oh, so you're a hacker."

I nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Well what have you hacked then?"

"NASA, the NSA, the CIA... " I smiled. "The easier question might be who I haven't hacked." I sighed and looked at the nearest surveillance camera. "Crap. I seriously hope none of this footage makes it's way to any of those places…" I gulped. What would they do to me if they actually found out all of the secrets I knew?

Reia just kept smiling. "Well if you just suddenly disappear, I guess I'll know why." she joked.

I smiled back. "Yeah. So it'll be your job to find a way out of here and tell my family what happened."

She smiled wider. "Only if you promise to do the same if I don't make it out."

I nodded. "Of course. But we can't afford to think like that. We'll find a way out of here."

I looked over at her, and noticed her looking up at the sky. "I sure hope you're right." She sighed and tilted her head back down, looking down the road. "Hey, look at that building over there." She pointed to the small shack with the skewed 'information' sign on it. "Maybe we can learn something there!"

She ran ahead towards the building excitedly. I smiled as I watch her run, following after her a few seconds later.


	6. Chapter 3

We briskly walked back up the road, heading back to the campfire pit. I didn't know where we should explore next, and I doubt Reia knew either, but she led us forward regardless. As she rushed down the path, I looked back at all the trees and the machine guns that hung from them. A shiver ran down my spine. I guess it really wasn't all that hard to believe that this was a death camp. And I wouldn't doubt that the fence really was just as deadly as the bear had made it out to be either. But there had to be a way to escape. If someone had let us into the camp, there had to be someone that could get us out. There had to be a control panel for the fence. Or maybe some power supply we could cut off in order to shut the fence down. There wasn't a single doubt in my mind. We'd get out somehow. We had to.

Soon we reached the fork in the road, breaking me from my thoughts. I looked around, trying to decide which path would be the most beneficial to my search for a means of escape. I looked over at the little building in front of the left path. Upon closer inspection, the Information sign wasn't the only haphazard thing about the building. The roof was sloppily bordered up in some places, and even the windows panes didn't appear to quite fit into the frames properly. Duct tape and boards seemed to be the only things that were keeping some parts of the building intact.

I pulled Reia over toward the building, and when I turned the doorknob, I found that even that even the door was carelessly put in. The door didn't quite fit the frame correctly, and so it took a good strong shove to be able to properly open it.

The little building seemed a little bigger than I had expected. There was a desk on one side, but it was pretty sparse. There was just a little pamphlet rack and a box of tissues on it. Then there were two doors, marked "Men's" and "Women's" respectively. Then on the other side of the room, there were a few rows of shelves stuffed with cheap looking souvenirs and bags of junk food. There was another sloppy, lopsided sign hanging from one of the shelves that read "Camp Store."

However, the most interesting things in the room were the people that were already there. There was one girl standing at the counter, reading one of the pamphlets. She had dark reddish-brown hair that was partially tied up by a small, leaf-shaped, gold and green hair piece. She wore a half-sleeved knitted jumper over a black t-shirt, with long skinny jeans. The jumper was mostly forest green, but half of each sleeve was black. Rounding out the look she had on black ankle boots. When she heard us come in, she turned her head, her hazel eyes sparkling in the dim light.

"Hello." She smiled kindly, walking over to us.

Reia reflected the girl's bright smile back and stuck out her hand. "Hi. My name's Reia. What's yours?"

"Kasumi. It's a pleasure to meet you Reia." Her voice was warm and crisp, and her smooth British accent gave her an air of refinement.

Once the handshake was over, I gave Kasumi my hand as well. "Soledad Castro."

She nodded in greeting. "Well I'm glad to meet both of you."

I nodded back. "So what have you found?"

She shook her head and let out an exasperated sigh. "Not much I'm afraid. The only 'information' I found in here was what we've already been told. However, it's all been put in these." She handed us the pamphlet in her hand, and I took it without hesitation.

The pamphlet was made out of cheap copy paper that someone hastily scribbled on in crayon. The few words said "Camp Morning Star is a very special camp. Its creators put in super hard work and filled every building with their extra special love in order to create this unique experience! Now it's your home for the rest of your life! Aren't you lucky!"

Kasumi shook her head in disgust. "All of them are like that. There's nothing even remotely useful."

I resisted the urge to rip the pamphlet to shreds. "Well maybe if we keep it, we can match the handwriting to someone's and figure out who put us here."

"That's a really good idea!" Reia said excitedly. "Why don't you hang on to it, since it was your idea?"

I gave a small shrug. "Sure, but there are other copies. Maybe you could take one too so we can cover more ground."

She shook her head. "Naw. If I need one later, I'll just come back and grab one. I don't trust myself not to lose it." She giggled, her ever-present smile unyielding.

"Alright then, I will." I folded up the little pamphlet and put it in the inside pocket of my gray blazer. "So what about the camp store? Is there anything useful in there?"

Kasumi shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I asked Mimi and Fausto to check it out." She gestured over to the other two people in the building.

One of them, a tall guy with messy flame red hair, seemed to perk up at the sound of his name. He immediately came over to us, his long white coat billowing behind him. "Salutations my friend, I am the Famous Tarot Card Reader Fausto Abbandonato," He proclaimed in a thick Italian accent before bowing deeply. He then looked up while giving a pleasant smile, his strange golden eyes glinting with childishness from underneath his long crimson bangs.

I gave him my hand. "Soledad Castro. It's good to meet you."

He took it, grinning mischievously. "I don't know why, but I like you. You have a certain something… special about you that I just can't put into words. Oh, what a joy it would be to know what you will do in this game! If you need my fortunes, just give me a holler. I'm excited to see your future, Soledad."

I raised my eyebrow. "Okay then…" I cleared my throat. "Thanks for the offer Fausto."

He nodded. "Of course. Feel free to take me up on it anytime." He then turned to Reia. "And it seems you also have a certain something about you. Can I ask your name?"

Reia was completely unfazed by the guy's strange behavior. "I'm Reia Martel. It's good to meet you Fausto. Would you mind reading my fortune sometime?" She asked, her eyes seeming to glitter with excitement at the prospect.

Fausto gave a small bow of his head. "Your wish is my command. I'm actually rather interested in your future as well, Reia. But when you come, make sure to bring Soledad here with you."

She shook her head up and down vigorously. "Of course I will!"

"Well then, I will look forward to seeing the two of you again." He gave one final bow before returning to rifle through the shelves, winking up at me as he did so.

I then turned my attention to the other girl browsing the shelves, trying to forget about the events that just transpired. She was pale and small, with wispy blonde hair with black tips. She simply wore jeans and a black button up covered by a dark yellow jacket. I realized quickly that she had been the one hiding behind the log when Monokuma was making his announcements. She didn't look much better now, as she stood there, her zombie-like gaze fixed on a shelf filled with colorful sugary snacks that she kept repeatedly poking.

I was debating whether approaching the terrified girl would be a good idea or not when Reia walked over to her. "Hey there. What's your name?" She said kindly.

The girl jumped with a start, sending a few of the candy bags on display hurtling toward the ground. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" The girl said, quickly bending down to pick up the snacks.

Reia followed her down and began helping her. "Oh no, it's my fault. Sorry I startled you so bad." She picked up the last bag of candy and stood up, reaching out with her one free hand. "I'm Reia. And who might you be?"

The girl hesitated a second before taking her hand. "I'm Mimi. Aloha, Reia."

"Are you from Hawaii?" Mimi nodded, and Reia lit up like a christmas tree. "Oh I've always wanted to go there! There are so many interesting tropical plants that I'd love to learn about!"

Mimi was still a little shaken, but she replied "You like plants?"

Reia nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! My gardening skills are actually how I got into Hope's Peak in the first place." Her pride made her smile bigger than I had ever seen it. "Oh, that reminds me, what exactly is your talent?"

Mimi gave a small sigh. "I don't really think that I'm all that talented really, but supposedly I'm the 'ultimate seamstress.'"

Reia gave a small giggle. "Oh, I'm sure you're just being modest. Hope's Peak only chooses the best, so I'm sure you're great! Maybe sometime you could show me some of the clothes you sew. Do you design them yourself?"

Mimi nodded slightly. "Yeah, but they're nothing that original. I mean, I make my own patterns, but I mostly just copy things that other people wear…"

"You even make your own patterns? I can barely sew up the little rips that rose thorns tear into my clothes!"

"It's really not all that impressive…"

"Well it is to me Mimi!" Suddenly Reia turned back to me. "What do you think Soledad?"

Why did she have to drag me into this? "Well I don't know how to make my own patterns either, but I honestly don't know that much about sew— "

"See Mimi, Soledad thinks it's impressive too. You have just as much right to be here as the rest of us."

"I-I guess so…" Mimi stuttered back, just as bewildered as I was.

Reia nodded proudly, putting both her hands on her hips. "Good. And don't you forget it!" Mimi definitely didn't seem like she had really believed a word Reia was saying, but before she could say anything else, Reia turned back to me and Kasumi. "And what about you Kasumi, what's your talent?"

Kasumi shrugged. "Well, it's really not as exciting as a tarot card reader or gardener or seamstress, but I'm the ultimate house sitter."

I looked over at her, confused. "How exactly can you be talented at house sitting?"

"Well, when I was young I visited my uncle a lot, and he had a neighbor that was often away on business trips. My uncle was in charge of feeding her cat, and he'd take me with him. Eventually I just went on my own, and eventually his neighbor started asking me to do various other things, like dust and water the plants. Soon some of his other neighbors heard about it, and they asked me to watch their houses while they were away as well. Eventually I just became the go-to house sitter in the area, and all sorts of people asked me to look after their places in the meantime. That's it."

I guess I could see it being a talent. "So you're like a really good maid for when people are out of town?"

"I guess you could put it like that. And what about you? What's your ultimate ability?"

"I'm the ultimate cryptographer." I told her. From her puzzled expression, I knew I'd have to explain further. "Basically I'm the ultimate puzzle solver slash hacker." I smiled as she got the little "aha" face people always got. The only benefit to having to explain my title to everyone was the satisfaction I felt when I saw that face. I've always loved knowing things other people didn't.

Before Kasumi could say anything else though, Reia pulled me aside. "Well, if you guys find out anything else, make sure to let us know!" She said, grabbing onto my right arm. "We'll see if we can find anything else around the rest of camp."

"Good idea. Good luck you two! I promise we'll give this place a thorough search."

Reia pulled me out the door before I could say anything else.

Once outside, Reia turned to me. "So where to next?"

I looked around. There was the thin, suspicious trail to the right, and then there was a wide, much more inviting trail to the left. Further down the trail there were even a few cabins. "How about we go left?"

"Alright. Lead the way."

I headed down toward the cabins, Reia following close behind. The trees continued to thin, and as the tree line receded, I got my first good look at the camp. There were about three rows of cabins on each side of the road, and in the center of all the cabins there was a park. There were benches, small flowerbeds, and even a fountain spewing crystal clear water in the center. It would be beautiful, if Monokuma's head wasn't topping the fountain.

There was already someone standing there, staring at the fountain in disgust. It was the Japanese boy that Monokuma had mocked back at the fire pit. As soon as she saw him, Reia walked up to him.

"Hi! Ataru, right?"

He looked up at her, still a bit annoyed, but he smiled anyway. "Yeah, that's right." He gave her his hand, which she happily accepted. "My name's Ataru Ikurumi. And even though I don't really get it, I'm the ultimate hair stylist."

Reia chuckled. "Well I'm Reia Martel, and I was accepted into Hope's Peak as the ultimate gardener."

I walked up behind her. "And I'm Soledad Castro." I shook his hand before realizing that since the other two had already declared their talents, I should do the same. "My cryptography skills got me here."

He gave me a small smile. "I have to admit I'm not really sure what cryptography is. Does it have something to do with computers?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it does include computers. And puzzles." I smiled. "But enough about that. How can you _not get_ your own talent?"

He smiled. "Well, the way I see it, I just get paid for ruining other people's hair, and it's 'fashion.'"

I laughed. "So you don't actually care about your talent?"

"Not really." He shrugged. "Why, do you need a haircut?" He smiled mischievously.

"No, thank you." I was quite fine with my standard hairstyle: A bun on either side of my head with twintails hanging down. I liked keeping my hair long because it was versatile, and by keeping it in the buns I could keep it out of my face while working. The twintails were just for style, and I had really grown to like my hair like that.

"Well if you ever change your mind, you'll know where to find me." He pointed to one of the nearby cabins.

"What do you mean?" Reia asked.

"Oh, you didn't realize?" We both shook our heads. "Well, each of these cabins has a nameplate with one of our names on it. That one's mine." He again pointed to a nearby cabin, which I now noticed had a small picture resembling Ataru on the door. "You should really go find yours."

Reia nodded enthusiastically. "We will! Thanks for the intel! It was so good meeting you!" She yelled and pulled on my arm.

She pulled me around the cabins, checking each one for my name. "Milow Yebrazsk… Odile Jacques… Finnian Hoang—Wait, Finn's full name is Finnian?" I chuckled slightly to myself. Somehow I got the feeling that "Finnian" would not appreciate me knowing that piece of information.

In front of the next cabin we saw another girl. Her hair was golden blonde, and her skin exceptionally pale. She was facing a cabin and rattling the door.

"Hey, you need some help?" I called.

She spun on her heal, jumping two feet in the air. "What!" She screeched in a strong French accent.

"I just asked if you wanted some help with your door there." I pointed to the door she was so desperately rattling earlier.

She looked over her shoulder before giving an awkward chuckle. "Oh th-that…" She gave a tiny little smile. "Oh no… I've g-got it…" She blushed as she reached behind herself and grabbed the knob. The door slowly swung open, its long drawn-out creak only adding to the awkward tension of the moment.

I raised an eyebrow. "If you say so…" I looked over at Reia, who shrugged. Apparently she was just as clueless as I was. "Well my name's Soledad. What's yours?"

She hesitated. "My name's Joselynn…" She said, her soft voice difficult to hear.

"And my name's Reia. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Joselynn nodded. "Yeah, y-you too." She muttered.

Reia smiled. "So, what are you here for?"

Joselynn tensed slightly. "W-what do you mean?"

"I mean, what's your talent? We were all supposed to be students at Hope's Peak before this, so why were you recruited by them?"

The girl took in a small sigh of relief. "Oh, that. I'm really n-nothing sp-special." She gave a small smile. "I'm just lucky…"

I raised an eyebrow. "There's got to be more to it than that."

She put her hands up defensively and shook her head. "N-nope. S-seriously. That's it."

"How can you be accepted just on the basis of luck?" Reia asked, dumbfounded.

Joselynn gave a weak smile. "There w-was a l-lottery…They put all the n-names high school s-students across v-various countries... they p-pooled those names together and p-picked one. I guess I w-was chosen." She fidgeted with her hair a bit nervously.

"So you were chosen out of every high school student in the world to attend Hope's Peak?" Reia whistled. "You really must be lucky. Or unlucky, considering our current circumstances."

She chuckled again. "I guess so."

"So, make sure you explore your cabin extra thoroughly. Maybe you'll be _lucky_ and find a clue about who brought us here and how we can get out." Reia said, before pulling me farther down the path. "Just make sure you tell us if you do."

We then walked on down the path, reading the rest of the names on the doors. Finally, we reached the end of the row, and I saw my name printed on the door.

"Well, I guess this is where I'll be staying." I said, looking up at the small building. It was just a simple log cabin, and it looked identical to everyone else's. There was a small, newly-planted tree out front, and a few shrubs lining the sides. There was a little path through the tiny lawn leading to some steps. There was a deck chair atop the patio, which was covered by the by a gabled roof. "Looks nice enough I suppose, for a prison."

That's when it really sunk in. Despite how nice the cabin, the lawns, and the quiet of the woods seemed, there was no denying that this was a prison. A nice coat of paint and a few trees wouldn't change the fact we were trapped here. There had to be a way out. There had to be a way for me to return back to my cozy room with my computer and all the drives I stored data in. There had to be something I could do...

Reia must have seen the dour look on my face, because she put her hand on my shoulder. "Sol, are you okay?"

Sol. My mom would call me that when she comforted me. How had Reia known my nickname? I hadn't told anyone, and the few people I would occasionally hang out with never tried to give me a nickname. To everyone else, I was just Soledad, or maybe Miss Castro, as some of my teachers preferred. Hearing someone else call me Sol… it honestly felt kind of nice.

I took a deep breath. I wouldn't let this camp break me. I couldn't afford it, not just for my sake, but the sake of all my compatriots as well.

I looked over at her and let myself relax. "Sorry. Just lost myself in thought for a moment there."

She nodded. "Good. There are more cabins over there. Let's go see if we can find mine."

She then turned and walked off, gesturing for me to follow. I smiled. We'd find a way out. We had to.

* * *

 **A/N Hey everyone! Sorry I took such a long hiatus. My life got in the way of everything for the past few months. I'm hoping to get out more consistent updates from now on, but we'll see how everything plays out. I just wanted you all to know that I haven't given up though! I hope you like the new chapter, and thank you all for your continued support.**


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